US may review ban on transgender people serving in armed forces

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says he is open about looking into the American military’s ban on not allowing transgender people to serve in the armed forces adding that, "every qualified American" should have an opportunity to serve.

The US military has come under pressure for its continued
insistence that transgender people are not allowed to be in the
armed forces. President Barack Obama has made lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender rights one of his major priorities since
being elected.

Relations have improved since Obama abolished the military’s
policy of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’, which had stopped gay men and
women from serving openly. However, this does not apply to
transgender individuals, who want to serve in the army, navy or
air force.

At present, the Department of Defense has a policy of rejecting
anyone with a “history of major abnormalities or defects of
the genitalia including but not limited to change of sex”,
and categorizes anyone in that position as having a
“psychosexual condition”.

Appearing on ABC, Hagel mentioned that it is likely to be a slow
process and was unclear whether there would be any change at all
adding, "The issue of transgender is a bit more complicated
because it has a medical component to it," he mentioned.
"These issues require medical attention. Austere locations
where we put our men and women in many cases don't always provide
that kind of opportunity," the Defense Secretary continued.

He did admit that "I'm open to those assessments, because …
every qualified American who wants to serve our country should
have an opportunity if they fit the qualifications and can do
it,” which would appear to give transgender people hope that
they could one day serve in the armed forces.

Hagel’s stance has been welcomed by the National Centre for
Transgender Equality, which is based in Washington, who said
Hagel's willingness to review the policy was "overdue but
very welcome," as it called the ban "arbitrary and
archaic."

They mentioned that there are thousands of transgender people who
are currently serving in the US military, "but are forced to
hide who they are or risk losing their careers."

"If the secretary were able to meet and talk with the trans
service members I've met, he'd understand the answer is
self-evident," Mara Keisling, the group's executive
director, said in a statement. "These are amazing people who
serve even though they must hide a basic part of who they
are."

The issue of transgender people shot to prominence following the
case of Chelsea Manning, who was responsible for releasing a
number of sensitive documents to the internet site WikiLeaks.

Manning, who used to be known as Bradley is currently serving a
35 year prison service. During last summer’s trial, two Army
behavior specialists said that they’ve diagnosed her with gender
dysphoria, or gender identity disorder, which are traditionally
grounds for discharge from the Army.

Military officials at the Ft. Leavenworth prison where she is being held said
they would not provide her with hormone treatment, which
attracted the ire of transgender advocates and other activists.